User Reviews

Strengths: Great starter full suspension bike! The bike is light enough to not wear you out on the ascents, and is very rigid and tough for the fast descents. I bougth the bike when I moved to Colorado Springs and spent nearly everyday riding along the frontrange. It absorbs bumps very well when you are doing 40+ down the mountain. I like the adjustability of the front and rear shocks. I also found the mechanical discs to be a great thing! I rode with many people that would have to wait for their fluid to cool down so we could continue, but for me this was no problem.

Weaknesses: I ended up cutting the factory seat post down so I could jump easier. No other complaints

Bottom Line:

If you are looking for an intro full suspension bike, do your research and find out what works best for YOU, but if you should decide to go with this bike, you won't be dissapointed!

Submitted by
SMBC 2009
a Weekend Warrior
from Sarasota, Fl, good ol' USA

Date Reviewed: February 19, 2009

Strengths: LIGHTWEIGHT! Suspension Linkage is strong, Swinger 3-way is a great shock, handles very well on cross country/all mountain, Climbs like a BEAST!

Weaknesses: I think this bike could have a more stable ride to it. It could use a beefier, stiffer front fork. Small rotors, get a set of Hayes V8's.

Bottom Line:

You know this bike will get you where you need to go and then some! With a beefier front fork, and some Hayes V8's, this is the best-bang-for-your-buck-bike! You get lots of travel and a lightweight frame, there isn't much out there that can come close for this price. I've taken some pretty bad wrecks, and put this bike through plenty of torture, and the bike remains faithful. Great Purchase for any All-Mountain Biker.

Strengths: Not much pedal bob , plush ride.
The geometry rocks, the frame is light, stiff , and solid. It steers really well and turns out to be very balanced on the trails, in the air, when doing wheelies , manuals or stoppies. I have done some wicked things with this bike : doing a 13feett drop while jumping 30 feet far. Even downhill this thing will rip when used and set up properly.

Weaknesses: -The standard fork has not enough travel if you want to run the rear suspension at 5"7.
-The hayes discs are too small.
-I had to shorten the seatpost cause of the possible interference with the 3 swinger shock.
-Cable rub

Strengths: absolutely everything it is unbelievable im so much faster on this bike than on my old hardtail. once the supension is set it can handle everything short of extreme freeride. it an absolute pleasure to ride on the trails and even better when i start getting some big air + i got all this for an unbelievable price and the guy that owned it before me kept it as new condition.

Weaknesses: none except that by a stroke of bad luck that the SPV valve on the shock gots cut off by the seat post when my brotther rode it. =(.

Bottom Line:

awesome allrounder the brakes are incrediable. its tough and just wont stop going. ive ridden this bike through muddy 4wd puddles (probally not good for it lol) that have had the bike and almost me completely under water i just rode out and everything worked just as well as before. my first real ride was in deep sticky mud and it rode like i was on dry. i just wish i could give it 10/5 of those chili thingies. but to any one thinking about it as a first bike it is absolutely amazing and if you can get one in good cond at a resonable price then it could quite possibly be the best decision of your life. Jack :)

Strengths: Easy bike to ride everywhere. A real modern-day classic. Great bottom bracket clearance. 4 inches or 6 Sir? No bob once it's set up correctly. Easy cock-pit too. Looks great in the later paint scheme of battle ship/cammo colours and very bespoke. Cracking brakes. Easy to steer. All many riders will ever need and far better than many bikes costing considerably more money.

This is a modern “Mountian bike classic”, MBR magazine has it down as one it’s Top 10 bikes, writing as I am in 2007. It was sold originally for £1500-ish as the VT2 (there was a VT-1 also) and really covered all bases for all riders, 'cept the really hard core XC or Downhill crowd. It has attracted sooooo much attntion on the rides I've been on too. I have great affection for this bike, even above other more expensive rigs (my Turner cost £3k+), as it's so easy to have a huge amount of fun on it. Maybe change the wheels, and the tyres for sure, maybe the running gear? As an off-the-peg bike I defy you to find anything better suited to almost ever style of riding! Tim

Bike Setup: Standard late-issue bike from 2005. Make sure you take time to set up the 2x chambers on the rear shock - but you can say that about any modern day shock, 'cept this one has 2x chambers. Replaced the bottom bracket and the tyres.

Overall Rating:

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Submitted by
Chuck
a Weekend Warrior
from Blacksburg, VA

Date Reviewed: September 27, 2007

Strengths: Everything. This is my first dual suspension bike and I love it. I've ridden everything from 15 mile flat Michigan cross country trails to lift access mountains in West Virginia and New Hampshire on it and enjoyed them all. This bike can do anything

Weaknesses: The bushings and shock mounting hardware had some slop in it after some time, but that is to be expected. The problem is I found it hard to find the right parts so I had to improvise. But its solid as a rock now.

Bottom Line:

I see they have this bike in the freeride full suspension but i wouldn't really say thats where this bike fits best. Its more of a longer travel trail bike that can handle pretty much anything short of full on freeriding. That being said I have done some bigger stuff on it, 6+ foot drops, but I think being 135 lbs has something to do with this bike being able to take it.

Submitted by
Rich Forsman
a Cross Country Rider
from Montesano, WA 98563

Date Reviewed: August 19, 2007

Weaknesses: My shock failed, because it wouldn't hold air on the sag adjustment side. I had to pay Manitou $92.00 to rebuild it. There seems to be considerable misalignment between thd top frame mount bracket, and the bottom swingarm monunt bracket. This puts a side load on the shaft and seal, apparently causing the seal to fail. First, in a two welded assemblies, there is a small likelihood that you can maintain alignment through the full length of travel. It would be hard enough if the two assemblies were machined out of solid billet. I am checking to see if the alignment and angularity are close. Second, they could be parallel, but not aligned, through part of, or all of the travel. The bushings and spacers don’t seem to allow any Iateral movement of the shock. This stops it from compensating for any misalignment. The top bushings allow only 0.019” (19/1000ths) of lateral movement, which is not nearly enough. One bottom bushing is badly galled by the misalignment. One is free to spin, and the other is locked tight between the frame bracket, and the shock boss. Apparently, they were better before we evened them up. Its hard to measure the total misalignment, but it may be as much as 1/8”, possibly more.

Bottom Line:

I have serious questions about Giant's design and quality control for this to happen. The bike works well for an hour or two at most, and then there is on 2 inches of travel, because the sag can't hole air. I don't know what percentage of buyers have this problem, but one is too many for me. I won't buy another Giant bike ever! I own 3, a Rainier(hard tail), and an OCR road bike, but after this, no more. Also, this bike has not ever been thrashed, I am a casual, careful 61 year old. I do not take chances, so you can rule out any chance of misuse.

Strengths: The Minute one fork and the swinger rear suspension works well together. The bike is well balanced, feels natural once you hop on it. Good clearance over logs or obstacles.

Weaknesses: Quite heavy in comparison to XC bikes. But that is the price for dual suspension all MTB!

Bottom Line:

The VT is a well balance, comfortable bike to ride. Took me mins to feel confident on it. With the well tuned suspension, I am a better rider! The bike did all the work and I took all the credit. And see ya later hardtail!

Similar Products Used: 1st dual suspension bike, had a Specialized Rock hopper previously. Never go back on hardtail again.

Bike Setup: Thompson seatpost, pretty much stock other wise.

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by
Pat Hake
a Racer
from Busselton Western Australia

Date Reviewed: November 4, 2006

Strengths: It is a brilliant bike, the suspension is plush with very little bob. Handles jumps and 4 foot drops with ease and is fast uphill and even faster down. Mavic wheelset is bomber and the raceface cranks and finishing kit are sweet.

Weaknesses: on the heavy side but It is a bike you buy to have fun out on the trails. Definatly not for racers, rear lx derailer is sh!t and will upgrade to sram as soon as possible. Tyres are grippy on hard pack or dry pea gravel but thats about it. Had a bit of a squeaky seatpost shim but nothing serious. Poor component in the shimano lx rear derailer.

Bottom Line:

This is a great bike for all mountain and trails, maybe a bit of freeride. Suspension is plush and fairly easy to set up. Little or no bob when set up correctly and takes the big hits with ease. I even raced this bike in sport class a few times and won most of them, VERY hard work. I am now hooked on racing and will keep the vt for fun and will invest in a 2007 anthem 0 to race with. It could be a killer xc bike if lots of $$ spent on upgrading to exotic components. The minute 1 fork that mine came with had some weak parts on it, as soon as I tried to adjust the blue rebound setting dial on the bottom of the right leg, it just snapped off. Love the swinger rear shock it does a great job.

Similar Products Used: first proper fs bike. I am ashamed to say I used to own a bouncy appollo which was more of a toy than a real bike.

Bike Setup: swapped tryes to Larson tt

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Submitted by
Bullwinkle
a Downhiller
from NH

Date Reviewed: April 28, 2006

Strengths: Where Do I start... The frame geometry is super balanced. It puts you in a position without bias to either the front or rear. This is a great bike for super technical nasty east coast riding, such as the Kingdom trails in VT, Lynn Woods in MA, Fort Rock in NH. The bottom line is the VT is a true trailbike. It is not an over built XC bike or a lightened up freeride bike.

Weaknesses: The biggest weakness is the front fork (Rock Shox Psylo XC U-Turn) This fork, even brand new, is one of the worst forks out there.

Bottom Line:

This is a great bike comparable to trailbikes twice its price. If you enjoy riding technical singletrack and the occasional 3-4 foot drop or jump, as well as hitting up the DH resort 4-5 times a year, this is the bike for you! I look forward to riding mine everyday, eventhough I've been riding it for just about two years. If you buy one, I promise you you will love it.

fantastic bike. front end doesn't get 'light' on climbs. easy to adjust seat and suspension settings for extreme downhills. just soaks up everything you throw at it. went for 2 days in wales after purchase...absolutely brilliant. really builds confidence and doesn't complain if you make a mistake. wouldn't of considered this bike, but giant dropped the price and i got a internet bargain from a established cycle shop that got a good deal from giant. managed to get £600 off original selling price ! great bike for full sus virgins !

Weaknesses: A little twichy in the rear probably due too the overly complex single pivot rear suspension. I've gone through two rear shocks (thankfully on warrenty), I've got a 04' Swinger 4-way on board now works great! The 03'Rock Psylo was a little klunky.

Bottom Line:

I've gone through lots of emotions with my VT2, First elation having my first FS rig, then disappointment at rear shock failures and the klunky Psylo, supprise at its ability to handle any trail, despair watching my riding buddies pull away from me on their lighter XC bikes, pleasure at the plush ride, fatigue peddling 30 pounds up long climbs and squeezing brakes levers till my hands hurt on long downhills.

Bottom line learning to set up the suspensin took awhile and the fork up grade made a world of difference. Heres what I did keep in mind I started with a stock 03' VT, Fork up grade to the FOX completely changed the steering handling it sweet as can be now, I love the lockout and easy travel adjustment, get a FOX Talas. Th rear shock issue came down to finding the right set up. I start using the factory recommended settings, no good. I found that for trail riding using the upper end of the recommended settings and then adding 10psi was just about right. I weigh in at 175lbs, I use 90-110 psi in the SPV chamber and 155psi in the spring with the volume adjustment at two turns, this set up gives me about 25% sag. The end results is a peppy ride, a little firm but quicker peddling on singletrack spins.The stock Avid brake levers have two settings to set leverage ratios, I switched to the out side setting and found it a lot easy to squeeze the levers, I also switched up to a 185mm disc up front for a little more stopping power.

Now I'm loving my VT. Its now a great Trail bike, it can handle moderate drops and jumps, peddles decent for a 30+ lb bike. Its sturdy, dependable and easy to maintain. The FOX fork is sweet smooth and tunable to perfection, the Swinger 4-Way plush. The right components make this a great bike.

Strengths: Endurance King, used this sucker for many back country rides and two entries in the MONT 24 hour race (in a three and a pair).

Weaknesses: Drivetrain eventually wore out afer 3 years, but I guess that's fair engough.Minute 1's flex under brakes, although you don't notice it while riding. They are also not as plush I would like, but they are damn light, so I guess it's a fair compromise.

Bottom Line:

This bike was awesome for the 24 endurance racing scene, I did many laps on her and alhough the driveline gave out after three years (I did replce it all and it ran fine after that), the rest of her was faultless.All Mountain Bang for your Buck, this bike wins for sure.

Bike Setup: Stock, but changed tyres to a Bling Bling and a Larson TT rear.

Overall Rating:

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Submitted by
Jon Booty
a Weekend Warrior
from Kings Lynn, UK

Date Reviewed: November 6, 2005

Strengths: Beautiful suspension action, makes you ride harder over terrain you wouldn't believe! As a complete bike, top value! Groupset is reliable proven kit. Truly a do-it-all bike! Takes big drops with ease and pedals like a X-country thoroughbred!

Weaknesses: Not the best design for UK riding- too many mud traps around the BB. Rear shock bottom bush wears rapidly due to the large amount of rotational movement it suffers due to the complicated linkage. I've replaced three already due to 'knocking' from this point. Have now fitted a grease nipple to the shock bottom eye and regular lubing seems to have cured this.The stock Manitou Black forks are flexy for heavy riders like me and lack preload adjustment (mine's a 2004 model). The Hayes 6" brakes are a little effeminate for hard riding too. Have upgraded both as a consequence.I have also swapped the long stem for a 80mm Hope item for better steering feel and a more relaxed position.

Bottom Line:

As a package, a great bike.Sadly for UK riding it needs a bit of money spent on upgrades for hassle free riding.Would recommend it to anyone on a budget especially as end of season sales mean you can get a 2005 model for as little as £900.Lighter riders than me would be happier with the package, I weigh 96kg and I found the brakes inadequate and the forks too flexi. These niggles wouldn't be a problem for less lardy riders!If you are a heavy rider you might be better served by something from the Specialized Enduro or Orange Patriot ranges.I'm gonna rate the Giant happy due to the fact I'm a fussy git and I know lighter riders would be happy with the standard kit on the bike!

Similar Products Used: My previous bike was a GT LTS DS1000, have test ridden a few other 6" full sussers, but the Giant was best value overall. Products tried included, Marin Wolf Ridge and Kona Coiler.

This is my 2nd review, having had the bike for about 18 months now. It's an awesome bike and I've had absolutely no problems to date. There is of course the than normal wear and tear: replaced chain, cassette, chainring, rear shock bushings (normal wear). But, it's done a few kms/miles, and is now almost a new bike once again.